linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] powerpc: enable heap randomization for linkstations

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Date:	Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:27:29 +0200 (CEST)
From:	Guennadi Liakhovetski <g.liakhovetski@....de>
To:	Scott Wood <scottwood@...escale.com>
cc:	Rogério Brito <rbrito@....usp.br>,
	linuxppc-dev@...abs.org, akpm@...ux-foundation.org,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] powerpc: enable heap randomization for linkstations

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008, Scott Wood wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 08:05:09PM +0200, Guennadi Liakhovetski wrote:
> > On Mon, 13 Oct 2008, Rogério Brito wrote:
> > 
> > > The current defconfig for Linkstation/Kuroboxes has the "Disable Heap
> > > Randomization" option enabled.
> > > 
> > > Since some of these machines are facing the internet, it helps to have
> > > heap randomization enabled. This patch enables it.
> > 
> > Same as the previous patch - this is one of options, that users select 
> > according to their needs. If any specific distribution enables this option 
> > by default in their kernels, they can do this too, don't think this is 
> > critical enough to patch the defconfig.
> 
> Just because users/distros can change it doesn't mean it's pointless to
> discuss what default is sane, and make changes if the current default
> isn't.
> 
> For security-related options it's usually best to default to the more
> secure state, especially since the option description talks about it
> being needed mainly for libc5 compatibility -- did libc5 ever even exist
> for powerpc?  

In a 2.6.27-rc5-ish snapshot I counted 68 enabled and 11 disabled 
CONFIG_COMPAT_BRK under arch/powerpc/configs/. Ok, enabling it for all 
would be a bit rude, and one has to start somewhere...

> The only reason it was turned on in the first place was likely the
> "default y", which in turn is there to avoid breaking old x86 distros.

Then maybe it would be better to make default y only for some platforms?

Thanks
Guennadi
---
Guennadi Liakhovetski, Ph.D.
Freelance Open-Source Software Developer
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